Chapter Five--Table for Study Guide
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Ju/Wasi
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Trobrianders
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Chinese
Peasants
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Men
marry age
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18-25
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Teens
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As
children (e.gage 6)
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Women
age
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12-14
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Teens
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Sometimes
as infants
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Premarital
sex
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Normal
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Normal,
usually by 11-13
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No--virginity
highly valued
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Marriage
Payment
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Men
hunt in brideservice for bride’s family
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Bridewealth
paid in the form of stone ax blades, shells and money.
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Extensive
dowry
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Arranged?
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Families
arrange marriages. Women (girls) can object to choice of husband.
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Marriages
not arranged.
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Always
arranged, often at early age
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Preferred
marriage?
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Girls
families seek husband who is cooperative, generous, and unaggressive.Older,
but not too old, a good hunter and ready to accept responsibility. Must
not marry someone with same name.
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Must
marry outside of your clan (there are four), as well as matrilineage (dala)
and other close relatives. Best marriage for a man is someone from his
father’s clan
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Outside
of patrilineage; Personality important and often matchmaker will be employed
to ascertain good match.
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Marriage
ceremony
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Not
elaborate
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No
formal marriage ceremony.Girl sleeps
overnight; mother brings yams for them to eat if she approves.
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Elaborate
and expensive marriage ceremony over many days.
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Postmarital
residence
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Variable
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Live
nearby to groom’s family (at least for early part of relationship)
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Live
in home of groom and groom’s family.
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Divorce
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Common
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Common
(esp. in 1st year)
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Rare
and difficult
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Men
gain in marriage:
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Adult
status; A sex partner; Access to his wife’s gathered food
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Yams
(food and wealth) produced by wife’s brothers
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Childbearer
to continue family, patrilineage.
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Women
gain in marriage:
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Not
a whole lot; Can get meat from other men in camp, and sex, as well
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children
for own status; control over wealth (yams, banana leaf bundles, skirts)
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sons
to legitimate them & give them status (& later, control over daughter-in-law)
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Brides'
Families gain:
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Hunter--want
to get daughters married as early as possible so husband will hunt in brideservice
earlier and longer
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Bridewealth
valuables; Assistance in gathering banana leaf bundle valuables
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bridewealth |
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Is
sex important in marriage?
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Very
important; main way woman negotiates relationships with men
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Important
prior to marriage; less important later
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No
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Is
wealth important?
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Not
important part of marriage/family
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Key
to ties between husband, wife and wife's dala
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Marriage
mainly concerned with keeping wealth within patrilineal family
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Major
threat to family?
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Conflict
between husband and wife, usually over infidelity (esp. wife's), or husband's
desire for a second wife.
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Threat
to matrilineage, particularly in terms of things like inadequate exchange
of wealth, or issues related to sorcery.
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No
son, or conflict between father and son.
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Key
relationship
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Husband
and wife
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Brother
and sister
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Father
and son
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